Lawyers Attempt To Halt Execution, Alleging Affair

McKINNEY, Texas (AP) - Lawyers for a death row inmate asked thestate's highest criminal appeals court today to block his scheduledexecution this week. Charles Dean Hood's attorneys say his judge and prosecutor werehaving an affair during his Collin County murder trial. Hood is scheduled to die Wednesday night in the state deathchamber in Huntsville for the 1989 slayings of a former stripperand her boyfriend in Plano. That's why his attorneys are asking fora stay of execution from the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals inAustin. Hood's attorneys also are asking Governor Rick Perry for areprieve and for the state attorney general's office to interveneand ask the governor to issue a reprieve. Retired state District Judge Verla Sue Holland and former CollinCounty district attorney Tom O'Connell have declined to address theallegations that they were having the affair. Meanwhile, efforts to depose Holland and O'Connell are on holdtoday as attorneys from both sides battle over jurisdiction. Hood'sattorneys want to keep the case in state court, while attorneys forHolland and O'Connell want it moved to federal court.

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